The Bittersweet Life

To get into the Halloween mood, grab a hot drink, dim the lights, and curl up in a cozy spot to listen to this new original radio drama. Matthew P. Woerner and our friends at Audioimagination77 Productions present a spine-tingling story in the tradition of the classic audio drama of the golden age of radio.  Don't be surprised if the story sounds a bit familiar. It was inspired by an urban legend...

How do you get into the spooky Halloween spirit? If you're like us, you spend October reading scary books. Find out what's on our Halloween reading list list on this week's episode. If you want to order any of these wonderful books, you can find links here... The dark hell-inspired Japanese story Tiffany recently read. An understated but nevertheless chilling story about an innocuous but terrifyin...

In this exclusive bonus episode—of which we're sharing just a sneak peek here—we chat about what movies get wrong when they showcase a particular city when filming on location. What major mistake was made in the filming of Sleepless in Seattle , and did they actually drive a car down the Spanish Steps in the latest Mission Impossible film? What annoyed Katy about a famous movie that takes place in...

This month, Tiffany sets off to accomplish one of her New Year's resolutions: a month of buying nothing (beyond the essentials of daily life). In an effort to better understand her spending habits, save a bit of money, and pare down the superfluous matter in her home, she attempts to spend nothing but the essential cost of living for the entire month. Will she succeed? And with this more intention...

...and what does how you prepare for a trip say about you? As Katy prepares to fly off to Italy for the second annual Bittersweet Life Rome Trip, she notices some particular habits she has when it comes to how she gets ready for a long trip.  On this episode, she compares notes with Tiffany to see if her pre-trip habits are weird or normal. Do you have any strange or unusual ways you prepare for a...

This week we're offering a peek behind the paywall by airing an episode on the main show that was originally intended as a bonus episode—shared just with our Patreon supporters. This conversation is a lighthearted examination of what people say incorrectly—and why it bugs us so much. We are hard on ourselves as well (Tiffany finally tells Katy the mistake she makes that drive her crazy!)  What are...

Retiring to Italy—it's a dream for many people.  But what about for a single man who has sole custody of his small grandchild? Today's guest, Dreck Baker, is not your typical retiree expat. A retired police officer, Dreck had dreamed of settling in Italy for many years, but rather than seeing his grandbaby as a hindrance to this plan, he was even more inspired to make his expat dreams real when he...

Tiffany is fresh off a two-week trip to Japan, a place that to her feels unique in the world. Hear some of her insights on what she discovered about the daily life and culture of this fascinating country, and which aspects of it she has been inspired to incoporate into her own daily life. And what about the Japanese tea? Is this English Breakfast-lover a convert to matcha? ------------------------...

A number of years back, expat podcast Expat Sandwich produced a documentary episode all about... us! As we prepare to launch our 12th season (can you believe it?), we've decided to air the episode in its entirety here on our show. According to Expat Sandwich 's show notes for the episode, "Veteran public radio producer Katy Sewall and writer Tiffany Parks have been friends since the sixth grade. T...

In her quest for novelty and trying new things, Katy takes to the skies. What is the craziest thing you ever tried? ______ Want to hear more? Become part of the Bittersweet Life community by supporting just on   Patreon ! For as little as $5 per month—less than the price of a coffee in some places—you will have access to multiple bonus episodes every single month.  You'll hear conversations that w...

Tiffany moved to Italy as an expat in the fall of 2004—almost exactly two decades ago. Since then, she's married an Italian and started a family, bought a home in Italy, and become an Italian citizen, so... is it time to change that label from expat to immigrant? In response to a listener email, Tiffany and Katy chat about why Tiffany can't seem to relinquish the label of expat, and how despite be...

Reading books can inspire you to travel, and travel can inspire you to read books. It's what we call a delicious cycle. Today we talk about the books (and other types of art) that have inspired not only particular trips, but the things that we have sought out while on that trip, or even things we have made a point to see in our own cities. But this inspiration goes both ways, and sometimes the thi...

Dreaming of moving abroad but loath to give up the job you love? On this episode from our archives, we discuss the hazards of giving up or interrupting your career in order to persue your expat dreams. Tiffany also gives listener Darlene practical tips to keep in mind when moving to Italy. Future expats, this is the show for you! Thanks to textile designer Darlene Sullivan, originally of Brooklyn,...

You did it! You've landed that amazing job, or maybe you're successfully living abroad in the country you've always dreamed of, or you've published your book, bought your dream home, won a major award in your industry (you fill in the blank). The question is: can you chalk it all up to hard work? Or was there some luck involved? And how much of what you've achieved can be attributed to privilege?...

Tiffany has an addiction she's decided to break, but she doesn't want to talk about it on the main show. She talks about it on this exclusive bonus episode. Want to hear the whole episode? Become part of the Bittersweet Life community by supporting just on   Patreon ! For as little as $5 per month—less than the price of a coffee in some places—you will have access to multiple bonus episodes every...

What's the difference between a goal and a quest? On this episode pulled from our archives (it's August afterall), Tiffany and Katy discuss what goes in to embarking on a quest, and why you would want to go on one. Tiffany (who famously loves a challenge) sets down her own definition of a quest, as well as why she believes the fun is not in the completion of it. They also brainstorm strategies for...

Who does leisure better, Italy or America? The answer is probably obvious, but you may be surprised to learn that Italians are emulating more and more the infamous American work ethic. Is the Italian dolce far niente instict enough to overcome the trend of over-productivity? And what can Americans learn from Italians about how to slow down and enjoy life? ------------------------------------- ADVE...

On this exclusive bonus episode, we put you and Tiffany, our queen of trivia, to the test. How many questions about July can you answer correctly? Want to hear more? Become part of the Bittersweet Life community by supporting just on   Patreon ! For as little as $5 per month—less than the price of a coffee in some places—you will have access to multiple bonus episodes every single month.  You'll h...

From all accounts, the ancient Romans knew how to do leisure—the priviledged classes at least. According to historians, they didn't see leisure time as something they got to enjoy once their obligations were completed, but rather, as the ideal state in which to live, when they had control over all their actions. Can we learn something from this? Are we looking at leisure the wrong way? -----------...

What is it like to divide your life between two countries? It sounds like the best of both worlds, but is it really? Today we are joined by someone who does just that, Laurel Attanasio, founder of Laurel Ann, LLC a boutique travel company specializing in wellness adventures. Laurel divides her time between the US and Europe, mostly Italy but occasionally Spain and Portugal —or even further afield...

Tiffany's had a rough week. And to make matters worse, some of the people in her life have been driving her absolutely crazy. On this exclusive bonus episode, she vents her frustration.  Want to hear more? Become part of the Bittersweet Life community by supporting just on   Patreon ! For as little as $5 per month—less than the price of a coffee in some places—you will have access to multiple bonu...

"When you're a woman of a certain age , you are only promised that everything will get worse. But what if everything you've been told is a lie?" This is the leading question of Glynnis MacNicol's dazzling new memoir, I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself . The acclaimed author joins us this week for a personal, intimate and delightful interview that explores her unabashed pursuit of pleasure—and why she...

We all have our beloved rituals, the things we do that center us, that comfort us, that make us feel that all is right with the world. It can be anything from the way we prepare and enjoy our favorite morning beverage, to walking our dog the same route every day, to watching a favorite show before bed. But what happens when we get so attached to these rituals that we can't do without them? Does th...

One of the hardest things about expat life is when your friends inevitably leave. For some expats, this happens like clockwork every single year (usually in June), causing heartache, disappointment, and a sense of continually having to begin again with a fresh set of expat friends. An  article on The Culture Blend (that was mentioned to us by one of our expat listeners) details this phenomenon per...

On this bonus episode exclusively for our Patreon supporters, we take you inside a very loud, very LATE dinner celebration marking the end of the school year in Rome. How late is too late for a third grader to party? Depends on who you ask. Want to hear more? Become part of the Bittersweet Life community by supporting just on   Patreon ! For as little as $5 per month—less than the price of a coffe...